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HRH King Frédéric I
HRH King Léopold Alexandre Patric Frédéric (simply known as King Frédéric) (b. 2786 - d. 2860) was the longtime Pretender to the Throne of Kanjor, but was, after a lifetime of waiting, crowned King of Kanjor on 1 November 2850 one day shy of his 65th birthday. He was a reserve Maître-principal of the Troupes de marine, as well as a prominent businessman with ties to the boards of the insurance giants L'Assurances Générales de Kanjor and La Mutuelle du Labonne Assurance; serving as a Kanjor-Rildanor liaison for the latter. Early Life HRH King Léopold Alexandre Patric Frédéric de Villiers et Orléans-Vasser was born 2 November 2786 at the Orléans-Vasser family's Chateau de Fin du Nord in Silliers, Kanjor. Shortly after his birth the Kanjorien branch of the family moved to Rildanor where the young Prince spent his early years. Throughout his childhood years he was known as Léopold, but due to the monarchistic affiliations this name arose, he adopted the name Frédéric during his early teens. Despite his surroundings and his mother's affection for Rildanor Frédéric was, and remains, strongly influenced by his patriotic father ''Capitaine'' Patric Frédéric de Villiers and developed a strong affinity for his native Kanjor; a land in which he visited briefly only once during his early childhood. The young Frédéric was extremely interested in the story of his great-great-grandfather, HRH King Léopold, and was subsequently guided by his father to learn from the mistakes of past monarchs, especially HRH King Albert III. Because of this interest and influence, Frédéric proved to be a extremely self-confident, decisive and assertive as a child, often bordering upon arrogance, and proved to have a powerful stubborn streak. A visiting dignitary once observed that "the young Prince seemed filled with self-discipline and was utterly fearless in diving into any conversational topic" only to "defend arguments as though they were an extension of himself regardless of whether he had the necessary knowledge to truly do so." Education and Military Service with his fellow Marines.]] Like most of his family, Frédéric was educated by a governess while very young but upon reaching the age of five he insisted on attending school in Kanjor and was subsequently sent to the Kanjorien branch's alma mater l'Académie Royale de l'Île de la Tondelle as a boarder; something the Royal Family had never done before. While attending the academy, Frédéric was considered something of a troublemaker who would often attempt to disprove his teachers and was once believed to have been threatened with expulsion after threatening a staff member he disagreed with. Frédéric's father disapproved of this scandal, and as Frédéric remarked on TFK News "my father detested my lack of discipline and disrespect towards authority" and "stayed on top of my actions for the remainder of my educational cycles." By his formative years, Frédéric had toned down his behavior and instead channeled it towards rugby; making captain of a club squad in northern Silliers. Frédéric also joined the Military's sponsored Corps nationaux de cadet to prepare for future military service. He achieved good but not exemplary marks in all subjects, passed his Brevet des cycles secondaire exams and pursued Séries générales for his Cycle avancée. He received a Baccalauréat général at the age of 18 and, in his own words, "marched right down to the Troupes de marine recruiting station" to enlist "expecting and receiving no help from my father". He served two years and achieved the petty officer rank of Maître-principal before mustering out and filing for reservist status. Also, while in secondary school, Frédéric began a serious relationship with Irène Brigitte Bastien-Provost, whose forceful will was able to keep Frédéric in-check. Frédéric's mother, HRH Crown Princess Marie Louise-Elisabeth was reported to have once said "besides his father, Irène Brigitte is the only person able to affirmatively counter the temperament of Frédéric." University After two years in the Troupes de marine Frédéric enrolled in and was accepted to l'Institut de Willigan de Science économique of the Université Impériale de Kanjo pursuing a Business Management degree. It was at the Institut that he met and networked with Gilbert Lurçat a university lecturer and high level manager within L'Assurances Générales de Kanjor, the largest private insurance provider in Kanjor. M. Lurçat played a prominent role in bringing Frédéric's potential to the attention of the insurance firm which hired the newly graduated Frédéric in the spring of 2809. Career After his military and university careers, HRH Crown Prince Frédéric joined the insurance giant L'Assurances Générales de Kanjor as a board consultant in 2809. The close relationship between Frédéric and Gilbert Lurçat certainly led to his rapid promotion, much the chagrin of the other board members and managers. However, upon the untimely death of M. Lurçat in 2815, Frédéric found himself in a fight for survival of which he only nominally won, suffering only a slight demotion and pushed to lead the AGK merger effort as head liaison to the Rildanor-based La Mutuelle du Labonne Assurance; which all, including Frédéric, knew to be a half-hearted merger attempt. Only ten years into his insurance career, Frédéric found himself, seemingly, at a career deadend. But he was able to negotiate through the career-ending minefields after the AGK embezzlement crisis that enveloped the company in early 2824. Due to his liaison position, Frédéric was all but immune from the fallout and negotiated his way back to a full board position where he oversaw the AGK damage-control efforts to mixed success. Despite the limited effectiveness of the AGK restructuring following the embezzlement crisis, Frédéric gained considerable praise from both the public and the business community. But oddly, in an uncharacteristic showing of self-restraint and modesty, Frédéric responded to press questions by stating that "the AGK restructuring endeavor has, and will remain, a team effort, of which I am but only a part". These statements drew some criticism as to whether the Crown Prince as merely an effort to gain positive publicity for himself and AGK with many considering his remarks to be less-than sincere. Personal Life While in secondary school, Frédéric met Irène Brigitte Bastien-Provost, the daughter of a Fortmix Energy executive and fellow student at l'Académie Royale de l'Île de la Tondelle. She proved to be an equal match to Léopold's personality and the two began a long, yet often tumultuous relationship. They remained together throughout Léopold's stint in the Marines and lived together as he attended university. While Frédéric was in the service, Irène Brigitte attended the École de chirurgie (School of Surgery) of the prestigious École Nationale Supérieure de Médecine I in Silliers. She requested and was granted her internship in Kanjo so she and Frédéric could live together while he attended university. The two were engaged in 2808 and soon after Frédéric's graduation were married at the Cathédrale nationale de Atyr on 30 May 2809. The young couple welcomed their first son, HRH Prince Patric Frédéric de Villiers et Orléans-Vasser on 11 March 2814 and their second son, HRH Prince Charles Gaston Guillaume de Villiers et Orléans-Vasser on 24 June 2815. Scandals Frédéric's forthright manner and stubborn attitude have often courted controversy and ire, and while endearing him as something of a "lovable rogue" to some of the tabloids, more serious publications often use him as a subject of both satire and condemnation. During his training for the Troupes de marine, a viral video circulated around the Internet of Frédéric engaged in harsh hazing rituals of fellow recruits. Frédéric and the other cadets were seen engaging in acts of humiliation and debauchery, and both the liberal and conservative press condemned the Prince for his behaviour. Frédéric subsequently publically apologise for his role in the incident. Frédéric was also captured on camera by a tabloid newspaper flirting with an unidentified female while in an intoxicated state on his 21st birthday, despite a high-profile relationship with Irène Brigitte. Frédéric sued the newspaper for taking the picture out of context, and described the raunchy photo as "something between close friends". Following his marriage in 2809, Frédéric has been subsequently caught on camera with a number of models and celebrities, all of which he denies anything beyond friendship. In 2811, Coeur gossip magazine reported that Irène Brigitte was filing for a divorce, but her press officer subsequently indignantly refuted this rumour. Frédéric also told Féroce magazine that although his relationship with Irène Brigitte was "often like a rollercoaster" their love is "eternal". In 2834, Frédéric was voraciously criticised by the liberal press, particularly Le Gardien, for his very public fall-out with his youngest son, Prince Charles. The 19-year old Charles had recently come out as homosexual to his parents, and then to the press, to which Frédéric had responded by criticising homosexuality in an article written in L'Héraut. While some conservative pundits supported Frédéric's consistent approach towards Theognosian values, liberals and leftists, including Président Guy Bérégovoy, condemned Frédéric's remarks as "bigoted and intolerant". Political Views Unlike many members of the Royal Family, outspoken Frédéric has been candid in interviews about his personal political beliefs. In an interview with Les Temps Econoniques, Frédéric expressed his support for unbridled free-markets, stating that "the freer the market, the freer the people". He described his ideal nation as a "free-market Monarchy", with the Monarch providing national guidance while companies competed to deliver the best service to the people. Frédéric is also known for his fondness for hunting and gun rights, and his staunch Theognosian views over issues such as abortion and gay marriage. Frédéric has also expressed support for a greater role for the Pope in Kanjorien national affairs, describing the pontiff as "the nearest entity to God on Earth, more transcendental than abstract concepts such as Monarchy or nationhood". When asked if he voted, Frédéric explained he regularly refused "because the current political parties are all too liberal - we need a party that is proudly Monarchistic, and proud of Kanjor's traditions, but also unafraid to defend the free-market". Concurrently, Frédéric has also often joked that his political views "could not be more opposite to those of my wife Brigitte". Irène Brigitte has also spoken candidly to Le Gardien and Les Temps Economiques about her own political views, and has stated that she has voted for the Alliance pour la Démocratie, the Parti de l'Union Royale and the Parti Révolutionnaire des Travailleurs in the past. She explained, "I am not loyal to one party - I am a liberal, I am a socialist, I am a monarchist. These things are not mutually exclusive. I vote for whichever party I think can procure the best result for the nation, and will deliver the fairest society". She has also campaigned for a woman's right to choose, and environmental causes, such as outlawing hunting. Personal Interests - interested in rugby, supporter of Rugby Club Atyr (RC Atyr) - involved in conservationist organizations and charities; esp. ones intent on maintain game bird numbers and habitat - enjoys yachting, bird hunting Category:Kanjorien people